Device for securing outlet boxes to their hangers



Dec. 23 1930. o. E. LOGAN 1,735,353

DEVICE FOR SECURING OUTLET BOXES TO THEIR HANGERS Filed July 26. 1927INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 23, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicEORBEN E. LOGAN, OF

L. BARN 'ES, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA DEVICE FOR SECURING- O'UTLETBOXES TO THEIR HANGERS Application filed July 26, 1927. Serial No.203,588.

My invention relates to and has for a purpose the provision of a simpleand inexpensive device by means of which an outlet box such as iscommonly used in electric wiring at fixtures can be firmly secured tothe usual form of hanger employed in supporting the outlet box from awall or ceiling, the device entirely dispensing with all forms of screwfastening means and-reducing to a minimum the time and labor required toassemble the outlet box and hanger, to the end that the present tediousand time assembling opera tion can be performed with the utmost ease anddispatch, and without the use of tools.

It is also a purpose of my invention to provide a device of the abovedescribed character embodying means by which the outlet box will bedrawn into snug engagement with the hanger during the assemblingoperation so as toinsure the rigid supporting of the outlet box, thedevice performing all the functions of fastening means heretoforeproposed for this purpose and without their attendant dis advantages.

I will describe only one form of device for securing outlet boxes totheir hangers embodying my invention and will then point out the novelfeatures in claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

' Figure 1 is a view showing in vertical section one form of securingdevice embodying my invention in applied position to an outlet box andhanger. v

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1and illustrating the first position assumed by the device dun ing theassembling operation. r

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 and illustrating the positionoccupied by the device in securing the outlet box to the hanger.

Figure 4 is'an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4r .-l ofFigure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Figure 5 is a perspectlve view of the de-* vice.

Referring specifically to the drawings in which similarreferencecharacters designate similar parts in each of the several views, myinvention in its present embodiment cornprises an element designatedgenerally at E in the form of an elongated flat body having mediallybetween its ends a laterally extending hollow and extending threadedproiection 11 to form a pocket 12 in which the shank 13 of a headed studS is adapted to be received.

In the present instance the headed stud I S is constructed of flat sheetmetal in the form of a T so that its head 14 extends from opposite sidesof the shank 13, while the latter is flared outwardly and shouldered asindicated at 15 to provide a reduced end 16 which is insertable throughan opening 17 formed in the bottom 18 of the pocketlQ and swaged asshown at 19 to permanently secure the stud to the body with its head 14disposed beyond the body. The under side of the head 14 is oppositelytapered from the shank 13 outwardly to its ends to provide inclined orcam surfaces 20 while adjacent its ends the body '11 10 is laterallyoutstruck to form a pair of protuberances 21.

In the use of the device above described it is placed with the body 10fiatwise against the inner side of the bottom wall 22 of a con ventionalform of cup shaped outlet box 0, with the head 14 of the stud Sprojected through the usual central opening 23 formed 7 in the bottomwall and the protuberances 21 projecting into openings 2-1- also usuallypro vided in the wall 22 as is clearly shown in Figure l. With thedevice held in its position it will be fixed against rotation relativeto theoutlet box, due to the engagement of the protuberances '21 withinthe openings 24. The, outlet box and a conventional form of fiat metal.hanger H are now brought together and the head 14: of the stud Sarranged parallel to andis then extended through the usual slot of thehanger. By now rotating either the outlet box or hanger through an arcof the head M will be disposed trans versely of the length of the slot25, and dur-. ing such rotation the cam surfaces 20 will act against thehanger to draw the outlet box into snug engagement with the hanger, thusfirmly securing the The hanger can now be secured to a wall or ceilingby extending nails 2'? or other fastening members through the usualopenings 28.

box. and hanger together.

provided in the extension 29 of the U-shaped portion 26 the fasteningmembers being driven into the floor beams or studding of the ceiling orwall respectively as is clearly shown in Figure 1.

The fixture (not shown) to be hung or supported can now'be secured tothe threaded projection 11 as is conventional, and it Wlll be clear thatwhen the usual metal conduits 30 are extended through openings 31 formedin the bottom wall 22 of the outlet box and secured in place by the nuts32, rotation of the outlet box will be positively prevented, so that theoutlet box will be fixedly secured from displacement from the hanger.

If desired the device could also be permanently secured to the outletbox by welding the body 10 to the box, in which instance theprotuberances 21 would be unnecessary and could be dispensed with. Thepermanent securing of the device to the outlet box would also eliminatethe necessity of the operator holding the'device in place in the boxduring the assembling of the box and hanger.

Although I have herein shown and de scribed only one form of device forsecuring outlet boxes to their hangers embodying my invention, it is tobe understood that various changes and modifications may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit of the invention and the spirit andscope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a hanger adapted to be secured to awall or ceilingand provided with a slot, an outlet box having openings in one wallthereof, and a device in the box com prising a body portion havingprotuberances received incertain of said box openings to prevent lateralshifting of the device in the box, and a stud fixedly secured to andprojecting from the body portion and extendible through another of thebox openings to project from the box, said stud having an elongated headinsertable through said hanger slot when occupying a position parallelwith respect to the length of the slot and operable when occupying aposition transversely of the slot in response to relative rotation between the hanger and box, to secure the box to the hanger.

2. The combination as embodied in claim 1 wherein the head of said studis provided with a cam surface operable when the relative rotation isbeing effected to co-act with the hanger in drawing the box into snugengagement with the hanger.

8. As an article of manufacture, a device forsecuring outlet boxestohangers compris ing a body adapted to be inserted into an outlet box andhaving a stud comprising a shank projecting laterally'from the body andprovided with a transversely disposed elongated head adapted to beextended through a slot in a hanger for co-action with the hanger insecuring the box to the hanger in response to relative rotation betweenthe two.

4.. As an article of manufacture, a device for securing outlet boxes tohangers comprising a body, a substantially T shaped stud projectinglaterally from a side of the body and capable of being inserted throughthe slot of a hanger in one position of the stud, and a protuberance onsaid side of the body adapted to be received in an opening in a wall ofan outlet box for the purpose described.

5. As an article of manufacture, a device for securing outlet boxes tohangers comprising a body, a substantially T shaped stud projecting fromone side of the body and capable of being inserted through the slot of ahanger in one position of the stud, cam surfaces onthe head of the stud,and a threaded projection extending from the opposite side of the body.

6. In combination, a hanger adapted to be secured to a wall or ceilingand provided with a slot, an outlet box having an opening in one wallthereof, and a device insertable into the box, comprising a body havinga stud extendible through said opening to project from the box, the studhaving a laterally projecting head insertable through the hanger slotwhen occupying a position substantial y parallel with respect to thelength of the slot and operable when occupying a position at an angle tothe length of the slot in response to relative rotation between thehanger and box, to secure the box to the hanger.

7 The combination as embodied in claim 6 wherein the head of the stud isprovided with a cam surface operable in response to the relativerotation to co-act with the hanger in drawing the box into snugengagement with the hanger.

8. As an article of manufacture, a device for securing outlet boxes tohangers comprising a body, a substantially T shaped stud projectinglaterally from a side of the body and permanently connected to thelatter, and a protuberance on said side of the body.

9. As an article of manufacture,a device for securing outlet boxes tohangers comprising a body, a substantially T shaped stud projectinglaterally from a side of the body and rigid with the latter, and aprotuberance on said side of the body.

10. As an article of manufacture, a device for securing outlet boxes tohangers comprising a body,a substantially T shaped stud projectinglaterally from a side of the body and rigid with the latter, camsurfaces on the head of the stud, and a threaded projection extendingfrom the other side of the body.

11. In combination, a hanger adapted to be secured to a wall or ceilingand provided with a slot, anoutlet box having an opening in one wallthereof, and a device insertable into the box, comprising a body havinga stud extendible through said opening to project from the box, the studhaving a laterally projecting head insertable through the hanger slotwhen occupying a position substantially parallel with respect to thelength of the slot and operable when occupying a position at an angle tothe length of the slot in response to relative rotation between thehanger and box, to secure the box to the hanger, and means forpreventing relative rotation between the device and outlet box.

12. In combination, a hanger adapted to be secured to a wall or ceilingand provided with a slot an outlet box having an opening in one wallthereof, and a device insertable into the box, comprising a body havinga stud extendible through said opening to project from the box, the studhaving a laterally projecting head insertable through the hanger slotwhen occupying a position substantially parallel with respect to thelength of the slot and operable when occupying a position at an angle tothe length of the slot in response to relative rotation between thehanger and box, to secure the box to the hanger, and means forpreventing relative rotation between the device and outlet box,comprising a protuberance on the body adapted to enter an opening in theoutlet box.

ORREN E.-LOGAN.

